Youngest IAS qualifier vows to fight corruption

Gulzar Wani, 23, who is the youngest of the six youth from Jammu and Kashmir to have cracked this year’s Indian Administrative Services (IAS), says corruption has become a ‘big menace in our society’ and that he would not ‘betray the trust’ of the people especially his parents by indulging in corrupt practices.

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He also wants to be accessible to the public and live up to the expectations of his parents. “There are a lot of other alternatives where a person can earn money. But this is a position where people are looking at me with great hope and confidence,” Gulzar adds.

Hailing from Wagura area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he says cracking IAS is a great achievement for him because he belongs to a remote village. “I was always sure about making it to IAS because it wasn’t a one month or a few months’ preparation. It was a long, constant process. I’d been preparing for it since my college days. So I was quite confident that I’ve given it everything it needs,” Gulzar says, adding that when the results were declared, though he was expecting a much higher rank, but still it was a great moment for him.

His father is a contractor by profession and mother a housewife and he gives all credit to his parents for his achievement. “My father supported me and stood behind me all the time. He encouraged me that I could do it. He constantly motivated me. My mother’s love is the best thing I’ve had. I can see the joy in her eyes, I can feel her happiness and that’s making me really proud,” Gulzar says.

He also has a message to the Kashmiri youth. “Kashmiri youth are extremely talented. We’re very capable. But unfortunately, when we go outside for some pursuing some degree, we get deviated from our main goal to so called modern culture,” Gulzar says.

He believes that hard work is more important than intelligence. “Kashmiris are intelligent but most of them don’t put in enough efforts. Intelligence is important, but hard work is more important.”

Gulzar completed his schooling from Navodaya Vidyalaya, Shahkote. Later he joined Jamia Milia Islamia where he completed B.A LL.B
(Honours) in 2009 and then also prepared for the civil services in New Delhi. His subjects in IAS were Law and Urdu Literature.

Samreen Mushtaq is staff writer for The Kashmir Walla.

Also published in daily English newspaper The Kashmir Monitor (print partner). Click here.

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